Improvement in pressure-governing gas-burners



J. N CHAMBERLAIN. Pressure Governing Gas-Burner.

No. 209,021. Pat en t ed Oct 15,-1878.

UNITED STATE-S, PATENT OFFICE.

J ()HNN. UHAMBERLA IN, OF SPRINGFIELD, lW IAS'SACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN PRESSURE-GOVERNING GAS-.BURNERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 209.021, dated October15, 1878; application filed February 27, 1878.

My improved burner belongs to that class of burners which are providedwith a movable valve in the interior, operated by the a-1 riablegas-pressure on the mains to deliver or burn nearly the same number ofcubic feet per hour, whether-the pressure he more or loss, withinordinary limits. 1

In the drawings, which consist of four figures, Figure 1 is averticalsection of my burner complete. Fig. 2 is a plane view of aspring-adjusting nut. Fi 3 is a view of the bottom of the disk andvalve-stem. Fig. 4 is a top view of the valve-stem and collar.

A is the shell of the burner, divided trans, versely into two sections,a and a, screwed together at Z). c is the inlet to the burner. i 1' aretwo gas-passages. c is a gauze screen be low the gas-passages i a". a isa receivin chamber in the lower half of the burner. 0 is a tube-shapedsocket in the center of chamber a. s is a lip formed on and around theinte rior of chamber a. m is a metallic disk. 1' is a hollow valve-stem,fixed in disk m. c is a regulating-screw in valve-stem r. 2 are gaspassages through the sides of valve-stem 0', leading to a centralgasway, 3, therein. 4 are outlet-gasways from gasway 3. 5 is a notchedcollar surrounding valve-stem r, a little below its top. 8 is adownwardly-project ing tube in the upper half, a, of the burner, on, theoutside of which is cut a screw-thread. 9 is an inverted cup-shaped nut,slotted from its top down, screwing onto tube 8, so fitted that anannular space, 6, is formed between them. 10 is a spiral sprin 11 is agasway, its lower inlet end of a conical shape. 12 is a socket formedaround the tube to gasway 11. 13 is a convex metallic shield, with anotched border, and 14 is the burner-tip.

Burners of this class have heretofore been .made with flexiblediaphra'gms, secured by their borders between portions of theburnercase; but such a co nstruction requires that the diaphragms shouldbe of some more flexible material than metal, such as rubber, leather,or oiled silk, and these materials become so much changed by longexposure to the ac tion of gas that diaphragms made from them becomeinoperative.

To avoid the above-named inconvenient results, and with a view tosecuring the advantages pertaining to the diaphragm system, movablevalves have been attached to thin inverted cups, which were fitted overhollow posts inside the burner-case, arranged to be lifted and droppedby variable gas-pressure; but the extent of frictional surface in these,and the liability to obstruction from the deposit of impuritiesin thegas, make such devices impracticable.

' Other burners have been made with a gasholder-shaped cup, carrying avalve, said cup operating in a cup of glycerine inside the burner; butthis latter description of burner is liable to derangement from adeterioration of the quality of the glycerine, or its partialevaporation by long exposure to the action of gas; or, by someover-pressure of gas on the burner, the glycerine becomes displaced, andthe burner ceases to operate to govern the flame, as it was intended todo, under varyin g pressures.

The object of my invention is to provide a gas-burner that shall obviatethe above-named objections, by so constructing it that all theadvantages of the diaphragm system may be enjoyed, and but few, if any,of its inconveniences encountered.

To accomplish this result, I attach my governin g valve-stem r to adisk, m, which is made very nearly the same diameter asthe interior ofthe section a of the burner-case, and quite thin at its border, but notintended to prevent a certain flow of gas up around its border betweenthe latter and the inner surface of sec tion a. Said disk is made ofsuch thickness that its weight, including the valve -,stem,

which it carries, and its area, shall be proportional to the minimumpressure of gas in which it must operate, and lifts freely in, and bythe upward flow of gas through, the burner, and falls when the pressureof the gas diminishes. Thepartial fiow'of gas around its border servesto prevent the deposit of any dust at that point, and its operation isimpeded by little, if any, frictional resistance.

The valve-stem r is fixed in disk m, and has a gasway, 3, drilled fromits lower end up above the top of disk m. The lower end of said gaswayis tapped to receive a regulatingscrew, 4;, and said tapped portion hasslots :1; cut therein.

Screw 'v is made slightly larger than the hole it screws into; but theslots ac permit the portions of valve-stem r surrounding screw 1) tospring out as screw 4. is screwed into the stem, and the said springaction pre ents said screw from being easily displaced when once set.Just under disk on are drilled in valvestem 1', from its outside,gaspassages 2, leading into gasway 3. By screwing screw '0 far enough upinto valve-stem 1' its upper end partially closes gas-passages 2, and bythis means the quantity of gas flowing through valve-stem 1' and outthrough gasways 4, above disk m, can be regulated, and the small flow ofgas up around the border of disk m, and that passing through valve-stema", combined, :an be regulated by the means just described, so that theburner will consume as little as may be desired, or the full capacity oftip 14:.

I construct my burner with the socket 0 therein, in which the lower endof valve-stem 4' operates, so that the action of the gas-pressure shalloperate to lift the disk before it finds free passage through thevalve-stem, the main flow of gas being up to the edge of socket 0,

thence over it and through the abovenamed gas-ways, through thevalve-stem, into the chamber above the disk m.

The lip s, in section a, is so formed that its edge is quite level withthe top of socket 0, and disk m is ground to a fit against the upperedges of lip s and socket 0. Lip s is formed with a thin edge, so thatno dirt may lodge thereon and prevent disk on from lying tightly againstit.

Above disk at is a spiral spring, 10, arranged to force disk on downagainst socket 0 and lip s when the pressure on the gas-mains is reducedbelow a given point, and so totally extinguish the light. The notchedcollar 5, surrounding valve-stem 1', has a diameter very nearly equal tothe interior of inverted tube 8, and, while valve-stem r is by tube 8guided vertically in its movements, the notches around its border permitthe necessar Y flow of gas up by said collar.

The upper end of valve stem 1* is coneshaped, and when disk at ispressed upward by the gas said cone-shaped end approaches the lower endof gasway 11, and so on larges or reduces the opening at the inlet endof said gasway, according to the pressure of the gas below disk on. Nut9, having slots 15 sawed therein, so that it has a spring action againsttube 8 to keep it in place and prevent it from turning, between whichand tube 8 is an annular space, 6, is so arranged that one end of spiralspring 10 may enter and remain in said annular space, and nut 9 may beadjusted up and down, to cause said spiral spring to bear with more orless force upon disk m, according to the reduced pressure under which itmay be desired that the light shall be extin guished, as heretoforeexplained.

Socket 12, surrounding the exit end of the upper gasway, 11, is providedfor the purpose of catching any slight drip which may result from thecontact of cool gas with the heated tip of the burner, and said drip isprevented from dropping into gasway 11 by convex shield 13, which hasnotches cut around its border to let the gas pass. Said shield alsooperates as a deflector and spreader of the gas current, throwing itagainst the upper heated sides of the burner-case, and so serving in ameasure to rarefy the gas before it is consumed, thus improving itsquality for advantageous combustion; but said socket and shield devicesare well known, and I do not claim them as new.

My improved burner, as just described, is a self-extinguishing one undera gas-pressure reduced to a predetermined degree, but continues to burnwhile a certain pressure is maintained. These functions of the burnerare secured mainly by the combined operations of the lip 8, disk m,spiral spring 10, and nut 9, in the following manner, viz: As above setforth, disk m, with valve-stem r, is lifted up by the gas-pressure, sothat said disk does not touch the edges of lip s and tube 0, and thebearing force of spiral spring 10 is so graduated as to bear upon thetop of disk on with a force less than the lifting power of the maxi.-mum gas-pressure; but as soon as there is a reduction of gas-pressurebelow the weight power of said spiral spring the latter forces the diskam down against the edges of lip s and tube 0, and the gas in chamber acan neither flow up around the border of disk 012, nor over the top andinto tube 0, and thence through the valve-stem r, and consequently thelight is extinguished.

I also employ the same combination of operating parts as abovedescribed, excepting lip s, when I make burners to be used in ahorizontal position, as upon gas-fixtures for lighting billiard-tables,8m; and in the latter case spring 10 is used, because with the burn erin that position the disk and valve-stem cannot recede by gravitation.

\Vhen I make my improved burner for ordinary use, not as aself-extinguisher, but ar ranged so as to consume as nearly as possiblea stated number of cubic feet of gas per hour under varying pressures, Iomit from it nut 9, spiral spring 10, and lip 8 below disk at. Thusarranged, there is an unobstructed limited flow of gas up around theborder of disk m from chamber a, and a main flow-passage throughvalve-stem r, as above set forth, and the oper' ation of the said diskand valve by the gaspressure to enlarge or reduce the gas-passageleading into gasway 11 is the same as hereinbefore set forth.

A great advantage which my burner possesses over others lies in theemployment of disk m, carrying the valve-stem 1', which has as nearly aspossible a frictionless action in the upwardly-moving volume of gas. Thearea of surface presented by said disk to be operated upon by thepassing gas, causes it to be suspended, as it were, in the gas-flow whenthe burner is lighted, and the greater the gas pressure below the disk,the nearer closed will be the inlet to the gasway 11, thus preventing anincrease of flame and of gas consumption when the pressure is increased,and when the normal gas-pressure is reduced the flow becomes less rapidand the disk and valve rcccde slightly from said gasway 11, and so anequal light is maintained by a more voluminous but less rapid flow ofgas.

I employ in the inlet c of the burner awiregauze screen, e, to preventany dusty foreign substance from entering the burner.

hat I claim as my invention is- 1. In a gas-burner, the freely-actingdisk m and valve-stem 1*, operating in and surrounded by a flowingvolume of gas by varying pressures, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

2. The combination, with inlet a, chamber at, socket 0, and disk m, ofthe gauze screen 6, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of disk m valve-stem 1', screw 1:, lip 8, socket 0,gas-passages 2, gasways 3 and 4, and section a of the burnercase,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of section a of the burn ercase, socket o, valve-stemr, screw 1;, disk on, and gasways 2, 3, and 4, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

5. The combination of sections a and a of the burner-case, of socket 0,lip s,valve-ste1n r, screw o, gasways 2 3 4, spiral spring 10, nut 9,with its slots 15, and tube 8, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

6. The combination, with valve-stem r, of notched collar 5 and tube 8,substantially as set forth, and for the purpose specified.

7. The combination ofgasway 11, with its lower cone-shaped inlet end, ofvalve-stem r, terminating in a cone-shaped valve at its upper end, anddisk m, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JOHN N. CHAMBERLAIN.

\Vitnesses:

WM. H. CHAPIN, H. A. CHAPIN.

